In a cohort of 292 chronic hepatitis C patients living in the Benelux countries the relationship between viral genotype and geographical origin, route of transmission, clinical characteristics and severity of liver disease was analyzed.

HCV-RNA isolates could be classified by the Line Probe Assay (LiPA) as 1a, 1b, 2,3,4 or 5 in 286 (98%) cases.

Cirrhosis was observed in 68 (24%) patients ; in multivariate analysis, factors independently related to cirrhosis were : the duration of infection, age and prior hepatitis B. No significant relationship was found between the severity of fibrosis or liver inflammation and the HCV (sub) types. (...)